Metro Manila, Philippines – Three personnel of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) were sacked after accusing a senior citizen of carrying a bullet casing in her luggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said on Monday, March 10.
This stemmed from an incident last March 6 involving 69-year-old Ruth Adel who was traveling to Vietnam.
In a joint press conference, Dizon said administrative charges will be filed against the three OTS staff after authorities complete the investigation.
During the briefing, Gen. Arthur Bisnar, OTS administrator, said there was no bullet nor live ammunition detected from Adel’s luggage.
He said security officers flagged the passenger after X-ray images showed a supposed bullet casing in a bag. The personnel, however, were unsure to whom it belonged.
“Ang sinasabi ng ating personnel ay nagmamadaling kunin ng pasahero ang bagahe nila kahit noong may nadetect sila na mukhang basyo or bala sa X-ray. Nang tiningnan nila nakuha na ng pasahero at ang mali namang ginawa supposedly ang SOP doon mismo ang physical check,” he said.
[Translation: What our personnel is saying is that the passenger was in a hurry to take their luggage even though they detected what appeared to be a shell or bullet in the X-ray. When they checked, the passenger had already taken it. The mistake was that the supposed SOP (standard operating procedures) there should have been a physical check right then and there]
In a viral social media post, the passenger lamented the inconsistent narratives of the OTS personnel detailing where they supposedly saw the alleged bullet.
Adel said an officer showed an X-ray image of a bag, which she said, wasn’t hers.
“Halos itaob na ng anak ko ang bag ko para lang mapakita na wala naman akong bitbit na contrabando o ano man ipinagbabawal na bitbitin. Sa totoo sa buong buhay ko, hindi pa ako nakakakita ng basyo ng bala na sinasabi nila. Sa pelikula lang kaya napakaimpossible,” she wrote.
[Translation: My child almost turned my bag upside down just to show that I don’t have any contraband or anything forbidden to carry. Honestly, in my whole life, I’ve never seen a bullet shell like they said… only in movies. That’s why it’s so impossible]
Bisnar then downplayed claims of “tanim-bala” or the alleged planting of bullets in the airport.
He said the OTS is still tracing to whom the suspected bullet came from.
Passenger to press charges
In an interview with NewsWatch Plus, Cai Adel, Ruth’s daughter, said she and her mother are planning to press charges against the involved security personnel.
She said Sec. Dizon vowed to help them in filing complaints.
“Kung ganoon at ganoon lang din ang mangyayari. Hindi po sila mabibigyan ng leksyon. At mangyayari at mangyayari lang din po ito sa iba nating kababayan,” Cai said.
[Translation: If that’s the case, then the same thing will happen. They will not be taught a lesson. And this will inevitably happen to other fellow countrymen as well]
Dizon, meanwhile, apologized to Adel over the incident and warned people in the government who abuse their authority.
“If you don’t want to lose your job…kung hindi na para sa inyo para sa pamilya niyo, eh tumino-tumino na po kayo,” he said.
[Translation: If you don’t want to lose your job… if it’s not just for you but for your family, then you better shape up]
In a statement, the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), the gateway’s private operator, said the OTS is responsible for security screening, including X-ray baggage inspections.
The NNIC said it is working with OTS to reinforce security monitoring, proper screening procedures, and transparency in security operations to prevent similar incidents.
“Our priority is to maintain an airport environment that is safe and efficient for all travelers,” it said in a statement.
